This invention relates generally to special purpose air filtering fixtures, and more particularly to room-type air filtering fixtures that promote recycling of air through them. The preferred air filtering fixtures of the invention include lighting means.
In public establishments, such as bars and restaurants, and also in private homes, it is often difficult to provide a comfortable and relatively smoke-free environment for smokers and non-smokers located in adjacent areas. Removing smoke-laden air from a room decreases the smoke concentration but it unfortunately also wastes the heating or cooling invested in the vented air. The effectiveness of a single air filtration device in a room generally decreases as the distance from the device increases, and provides uneven smoke removal within the room, with some air never subjected to filtration. Multiple ceiling air filtration devices are effective for more uniform air filtration, but together with separate lighting fixtures (and sometimes separate circulation fans) tend to clutter the ceiling area. Further, ceiling level devices which combine air filtration and lighting functions serve to filter the smoke-laden air only after it has risen to the ceiling, which permits the smoke to substantially diffuse into the air of the room and assault the senses of the room's occupants prior to filtration.
The problem thus has been to provide a useful air filtering fixture that not only is capable of intaking smoke-laden air close to the source of the smoke (i.e., a lit cigarette held in a person's hand), but also is capable of effectively causing filtration of smoke-laden air at elevated portions such as at the ceiling level. Heretofore known or suggested air filtering fixtures have not successfully solved this problem. Further, typical air filtering fixtures, especially those equipped with lighting means, have heretofore required disassembly of a significant portion of the fixture in order to change the air filter part. Such disassembly sometimes is difficult to accomplish when the fixture is in a mounted elevated condition of use. Disassembly of equipment portions (and the reassembly thereof after changing a filter) also imposes a significant and undesirable maintenance burden for the user.